Davao to host Asean workshop on anti-smoking campaign

DAVAO City will be hosting a regional workshop on anti-smoking campaign to be participated in by representatives from 10 countries comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

The workshop, dubbed as "Smoke-Free Laws: Strengthening the Enforcement Towards Building Model Smoke-free Cities in the Asean," is slated on July 8-10 at SM City Davao Annex.

Davao City Anti-Smoking Task Force head Dr. Domilyn Villareiz said the workshop is organized by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Alliance (Seatba), a regional non-governmental organization (NGO) working on the advancement of tobacco control in the Asean and in cooperation with the Davao City Anti-Smoking Task Force.

She said it will be participated in by eight countries, namely: Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

Each of these countries will be sending their own delegates to represent their respective anti-smoking regulatory body in the three-day workshop.

Villareiz said the activity also includes visit in various areas where the ordinance is strictly observed.

She said the delegates will be visiting government offices and establishments in the city.

She said that in the study visit, Davao City will be named as model city for the anti-smoking campaign, adding that other cities in the Asean have already enacted anti-smoking laws but were not able to fully implement the campaign.

In the same event, the Smoke-Free Cities Asean Network will also be launched during a press conference Monday at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier, Davao City.

The workshop will also encourage more cities not just in the country but also other cities in the Southeast Asian Nation to be smoke-free.